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Firms pay labs to prove cream claims

The battle for the beauty market is moving from the catwalk to the laboratory, as cosmetic companies seek new ways of promoting their products.

This month the British Journal of Dermatology (BJD) will publish a scientific study apparently showing that an anti-ageing cream made by Procter & Gamble is as effective at reducing wrinkles as prescription-only treatments.

It is the latest attempt by cosmetic companies to enlist serious scientific scrutiny to support claims for beauty products. In doing so, they hope to emulate the success of Boots Protect & Perfect skin cream, which flew off the shelves after research into the product was published in the BJD in 2007.

However, critics say the sums paid to scientists to carry out the studies pose conflicts of interest, and that consumers are vulnerable to unjustified claims about expensive products.

After seeing the success of the Boots product, P&G has spent about £320,000